"It's a Travesty" — Kai Ryssdal on Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post

Kai Ryssdal calls Jeff Bezos’s stewardship of the Washington Post “a travesty,” arguing that the paper initially benefited from investment after Bezos bought it in 2013, but then suffered from editorial interference, shrinking credibility, and repeated layoffs. He says the result is especially harmful because the Post is both a national powerhouse and a regional paper serving a major market, and because it illustrates how much journalism now depends on the choices of very wealthy owners.

The discussion shifts to public radio, where Ryssdal says he would rebuild the system around major stations like WNYC, WBEZ, KQED, KPCC, and possibly outlets in Dallas and Atlanta. He argues the current structure is dysfunctional because local stations pay carriage and program fees but also want a say in strategy, creating a constant conflict between national priorities and local demands.

On funding, Ryssdal says the end of federal support for public media was, in the long run, a good thing, even if the transition has been painful. He argues that public media should not have become dependent on government money and now has to rely on underwriting, philanthropy, and listeners. He closes by saying the most effective consumer lever is to withhold money, whether through economic strikes or organized boycotts.